Besides the fact that it’s the best state in the North (arguably, of course), Minnesota has a long list of reasons that make it a great place to set up camp and put down roots. Whether you have a love for food, the great outdoors, summer festivals, or all of the above, there are plenty of reasons to fall in love with and make the great state of Minnesota your home.
But before you settle on relocation to or in Minnesota, you will have to find a comfortable home there. A sustainable green home may be a wise choice for the eco-conscious and outdoor lovers out there, or even just those home buyers looking to save money over the long-term on recurring costs like utility bills.
This article looks at the top green home builders in Minnesota. Living in a green and sustainable home will help you minimize your carbon footprint and offers homeowners several additional benefits.
Benefits of Living in a Green Home
Green and sustainable homes incorporate eco-friendly materials and building processes. As a result, they aren’t just aesthetically beautiful but offer significant economic, environmental, and social advantages.
1. Energy-Efficiency and Cost Savings
A well-designed and properly-constructed green home can help you save hundreds and thousands of dollars in energy costs every year.
They are designed and built to be comfortably cooled and heated with minimal energy consumption—something that is a crucial feature for homes in Minnesota as the temperature in this state can get down to -60 degrees F.
2. Better Indoor Air Quality
Healthy indoor air is becoming extremely important as the air inside your house can have plenty of pollutants.
Green homes in Minnesota have air filtration and proper ventilation to minimize mildew and mold that can compromise indoor air. They also use particle boards, paints, and other materials free of volatile organic compounds.
3. Better Designed Living Spaces
Green homes usually entail thoughtful designs that better support today’s lifestyle, resulting in greater enjoyment and comfort for you.
For instance, many green homes are built to allow natural sunlight into your living space. Research shows that natural light results in greater comfort, better sleep patterns, more enjoyment, and overall health.
4. Sustainability and Durability
Green homes are usually built to higher quality standards than traditional homes. The emphasis on durability and quality in building materials and processes lowers maintenance and increases the life of your house.
So instead of getting the lowest up-front costs, you get to minimize your long-term costs and return on investment. These homes also feature eco-friendly materials, including renewable and recycled materials that are more appealing than conventional materials.
Now that you have a grasp on the benefits a green home can offer homeowners let’s, look at the top companies that can build you one in Minnesota.
The Top Green Homebuilders in Minnesota
Here’s our selection of the top eight home builders in Minnesota, including:
- Sustainable 9 Design + Build
- Amaris Homes LLC.
- Live Green, Live Smart Builders, LLC
- GreenHalo Builds
- William Feder Homes, Inc.
- McDonald Construction
- Brandl Anderson
- Yorway Custom Home Builders
So, without further ado, let’s get into the specifics of what each of these builders has to offer so you can find your perfect fit.
Sustainable 9 Design + Build
Sustainable Nine Design + Build is a building and remodeling company based in the Twin Cities. The company uses energy-efficient materials and high-quality craftsmanship to design and build custom homes suited for each homebuyer’s lifestyle.
The houses built by Sustainable Nine have acquired several certifications, including Net Zero, Passive House, and Energy Star. This efficiency helps you save thousands of dollars every year in energy costs.
Moreover, Sustainable Nine homes are designed with sufficient fresh, clean air and abundant natural light by attaining the EPA’s Indoor airPLUS certification. The company also strives to incorporate clean energy technologies and techniques such as passive solar heating, PV solar, or geothermal into all of its designs.
Sustainable Nine looks for locally sourced materials and includes regrown, recycled, or reused materials in its design as much as possible for every project.
Perhaps the best thing about Sustainable Nine is that it constantly models, tests, and monitors the homes it builds to acquire data and use that information to make informed design decisions.
Amaris Homes LLC
Amaris Homes, LLC is the leading custom green home builder in the Twin Cities and seven county market areas. The company constructs homes that are architecturally beautiful and highly environmentally friendly, efficient, safe, durable, and healthy.
Using superior quality materials and innovative building techniques, Amaris sets the standard for green home builders in Minnesota.
Amaris Homes has certified homes under every significant certification, including USGBC LEED for Homes, EPA Indoor Air Quality Plus, EPA WaterSense, Energy Star for Homes, Department of Energy (DoE) Zero Energy Ready, and MN Green Path programs.
An Amaris custom-built green home will save you money on both your water and energy bills. On average, an Amaris home will be around 40% more energy-efficient than an Energy Star-certified home.
Some features that will help you save money on energy and water bills include:
- Geothermal systems
- Solar voltaic systems
- Rainwater harvesting systems
- Low-flow showers and faucets
- Compact plumbing systems
- Metered irrigation
- Tankless water heaters
- Dual flush toilets.
In addition, Amaris homes are designed to minimize health-related problems caused or worsened by radon, mold, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and toxic chemicals (Volatile Organic Compounds).
Live Green, Live Smart Builders, LLC
Live Green, Live Smart Builders LLC is another green home builder in Minnesota that offers an entire range of home remodeling and green building services.
Led by Ronn Jansen, Live Green Live Smart Builders is an eco-friendly remodeling and building expert. The company incorporates green elements, including energy efficiency, improved air and water quality, and renewable energy.
Live Green, Live Smart’s The Sustainable House™ is America’s first home remodel to acquire LEED Platinum Certification, the highest degree of efficient design.
GreenHalo Builds
GreenHalo Builds homes are net-zero homes with a healthy indoor environment. All its homes are modeled, designed, and constructed with the following factors in mind:
- Resource conservation
- Sustainability
- Solar power
- Site planning
- Healthy solutions
- Energy independence
Living in a GreenHalo home allows you to benefit from lower operating costs, a more comfortable living environment, and better indoor air quality. Plus, you also get the satisfaction of making a significant contribution to a lower carbon footprint.
From beginning to end, GreenHalo homes are designed with the environment, future, and homeowner in mind to create a healthy and pleasant living space.
Passionate about innovation, GreenHalo combines its proven custom home building skills with the latest sustainable technology to create homes that offer unparalleled comfort, energy efficiency, healthy indoor air quality, durability, and peace of mind.
William Feder Homes, Inc.
For over four decades, William Feder Homes, Inc. has been constructing homes in the southern Minnesota and Greater Mankato area.
With the company’s vast building experience and superior workmanship, you know you will live in a home that meets your specifications, requirements, and expectations.
The company uses eco-friendly building practices to design and build every home. The custom-built home packages minimize water throughout the building process. Some features of their green home include:
- Use of lumber from registered or certified forests
- Tight construction
- A controlled environment process that minimizes on-site dumpsters, traffic, erosion, noise, and related site pollutants
- Ladder wall connections to decrease the amount of lumber used at a job site.
McDonald Construction
The next green home builder in Minnesota featured is McDonald Construction.
As a locally-owned custom builder, the company has been handcrafting the finest custom homes for forty years. In fact, McDonald Construction has been classified as one of the top 25 builders in the Twin Cities.
McDonald Construction is also a certified Green Path Home Builder. Minnesota’s Green Path is the leading energy efficiency and green building program for the residential construction industry in the state.
Brandl Anderson
Brandl Anderson homes are available in various sizes, layouts, and price points to serve customers within the Woodbury, Rosemount, Rochester, Savage, and Lakeville communities.
The company also specializes in building green homes and is a listed Green Path builder.
Yorway Custom Home Builders
Yorway Custom Home Builders has planned, designed and constructed top shelf homes in the Twin Cities since 1998. It offers in-house design and drafting services, unique, high-quality upgrades, and custom selections.
The company’s hands-on approach ensures you’ll get incredible customer service, attention to detail, and quality artistry. You can either opt for one of the home plans on the website or build your dream house from beginning to end.
Yorway Custom Home Builders installs energy-efficient furnaces, windows, water heaters, and several other components to make your new home cost-efficient and comfortable.
Last Few Words
We hope this list of the top sustainable and green home builders in Minnesota has helped you get closer to deciding which company to select for your project.
The best thing is that a lot of these companies offer customization options so you can live your dream of residing in a green home in this (Minnesota) nice state!
Also, be sure to check out our list of the top modular builders in Minnesota, as many of the companies featured construct homes that are also consider green and sustainable.
